Fluid [Part 2]

“Dude, how come you never told us you had a sister?” Kaminari whined.

Izuku tensed up, glancing over to see Katsuki doing the same, where he had made the mistake of sitting down amongst their classmates. Katsuki bristled, clearly bracing himself for the shitty conversation that was about to happen, but apparently he didn’t have an answer ready to go, since he didn’t speak. Izuku’s heart went out to him; he’d had a long time to think of a response, but clearly he’d had no success, judging by the clenched jaw. His poor teeth.

“Can you blame him?” Jirou asked, not even looking up from her laptop. “You’d probably hit on her immediately.”

“He did,” Todoroki confirmed.

“See?” Jirou snorted. “I wouldn’t tell you either.”

“Okay, fine,” Kaminari huffed. “But he didn’t even tell Kirishima.”

It was, Izuku had to admit, kind of hard to believe. In all the time they’d known each other, you’d think even once the topic would have come up, that Katsuki would have mentioned it even in passing. Sure, he didn’t talk much about his family or his past, but never​? Let alone that Izuku had never mentioned her either? He wasn’t surprised that they were confused.

“He doesn’t like it when people meet her,” Izuku offered sheepishly – maybe if they thought it was intentional, they wouldn’t ask so many questions.

“Does she look like him?” Jirou asked, curiosity apparently piqued – damn it.

“Way hotter,” Kaminari answered, getting another glare out of Katsuki for it. “But the others keep insisting I'm not allowed to flirt with her, they’re so boring.”

“Because she’s Bakugou’s sister?” Jirou asked. “Or just because you’re you?”

“Nah, because Midoriya has dibs.”

Izuku squeaked, slamming his hands over his mouth to stifle it, and he knew his face was redder than it had ever been before. Sero stomped on Kaminari’s foot far too late, unable to cut him off before the words made it out, and every eye in the room was suddenly on Katsuki, waiting for his reaction. Izuku knew what they were expecting, waiting for him to yell and scream and fire off explosions, waiting for him to jump over the couch to attack Izuku for even thinking about Masami in that way, but instead, Katsuki went almost as red as Izuku.

“Wait, are you two actually dating?” Uraraka asked, jolting upright from where she’d moments ago been lounging on the couch beside Izuku. “There’s no way he’s so unsurprised by this. Deku-kun! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“We are not dating!” Izuku insisted, squashing the idea before it could take root in anyone else. “I could never!”

“Because she’s Bakugou’s sister? I mean, that’s sweet and all, being considerate of your best friend, but Deku-kun, she could be your soulmate or something! You’ve known her your whole life, right?!”

“I have,” he agreed awkwardly. “But it's not like that, and we're not together, I swear.”

“Uh-huh,” Jirou humoured him. “Okay, buddy.”

Izuku just whined into his hands. He really had no comeback for any of it, other than just denial. He didn’t talk much about his sexuality to his classmates, had never really seen the point in bringing it up, but if any of them had known that he liked guys, he was sure they’d have immediately figured out his lifelong crush on Katsuki. For half of his life he hadn’t been sure whether he’d liked girls or not, but Masami had certainly put that question to rest. It made sense, of course, but it was certainly unexpected. She was just so... everything.

“It’s whatever,” Katsuki grumbled, when he saw how mortified Izuku clearly looked. “Stop beating yourself up, I don't give a shit.”

“Awww, you have his blessing after all!” Kaminari gushed. “That’s so cute. Call her, dude. Like, now, before I beat you to it.”

Izuku sank into his seat, praying the couch would spontaneously develop a monster quirk and just swallow him whole. It would be a good way to go: a part of history, eaten by the first ever sentient couch. He knew the story his friends would tell about his last moments, though, and it would not be about an inanimate object suddenly having a quirk.

“Is this why you’ve always put up with Bakugou being an asshole?” Uraraka asked, nudging Izuku with her foot. “Because of— wait, what’s her name?”

“That’s a really good question,” Kaminari laughed. “They never actually introduced us. Midoriya called her Micchan but I feel like they’ll both beat me up if I try that.”

“Masami,” Izuku said, the name feeling weird on his tongue. He’d only ever said it out loud one time in his life, and that had been in a whisper.

“Stop telling them shit,” Katsuki grumbled, stalking off to the kitchen. “Drop it, losers!”

“Never!” Kaminari insisted, quickly turning to Izuku and dropping his voice to a whisper. “Are you really not dating?”

“We’re not!” Izuku insisted. “We... never see each other. So I was just surprised to see her, that’s all. And uh, she’s not a hugger, but I hugged her without thinking, so it was weird.”

Most of that was the truth, so it was okay, right?

“You can say that all you want, but it was so obvious you have a thing for her.”

Izuku whined quietly, feeling every eye turn his way again in their curiosity, but Kaminari just grinned.

“I get it, she’s hot. I mean, Bakugou is already a fucking good-looking dude, so it’s not surprising.”

“How old is she?” Uraraka asked. “Are they close in age?”

“Closer than you can imagine,” Izuku mumbled.

“They’re twins,” Kaminari clarified. “So it’s no wonder they look so similar. Like I said, though, Masami is way hotter.”

“Wow, I can’t believe he’s never mentioned her before. Or you, for that matter.”

She gave Izuku a questioning look, and he forced an awkward smile.

“Kacchan doesn’t like it when people talk about Micchan,” he explained awkwardly. “So I’ve always been used to just not saying anything. I’ve um, probably told you stories about her before, just not by name. Or... relation, I guess.”

“Aww, like what? Tell us a story!”

Izuku glanced toward the kitchen, but Katsuki was safely out of sight. Maybe just one story would get them off his back? And maybe Katsuki’s, a little?

“I didn’t know she was a girl, when we were really young,” he began, unsurprised when they giggled at him for it. “But we were playing dress up one day, and she put a princess dress on and she was so pretty and so happy, and some of the other kids were giggling about it and stuff but I just thought she looked beautiful. And some stupid kid said she looked like a girl, and she went ‘what are you talking about? I am a girl.’ and for the rest of the day she kept the dress on and she walked around in it so proudly, telling everyone to call her Princess Masami, and obviously no one did, but-”

“Except you,” Uraraka interjected, setting off more laughter when he blushed again.

“I didn’t,” he objected.

He kind of wished he had, in hindsight. Over all those later years, when things were weirder, and harder, he’d always kind of wished that he’d just done what she wanted, instead of being a dumb, confused little kid.

“Because she was Micchan, like he was Kacchan!” Kaminari said triumphantly. “You can’t call them anything else!”

“Something like that,” Izuku agreed sheepishly.

“That’s so cute,” Uraraka fawned.

Izuku sighed, glancing once more toward the kitchen doorway, where he could hear the clanging of pots and pans as Katsuki crankily got to work.

“Gender never came up much, after that,” he said, rubbing at the back of his neck nervously. “But every so often when I saw her... dressed up, I guess, it kind of... hit me again. Like she was back in kindergarten, marching around so proudly in her princess dress. It’s always... nice.”

“So that’s why you told her she looked good!” Kaminari gasped. “I thought it seemed weird for you, you never mention people’s clothes and stuff, plus you were so awkward about it, but that makes total sense now!”

“You complimented her?” Uraraka asked, eyes shining.

“I just said I liked her skirt!” he clarified, face burning again. “She looked cute! That’s all!”

“Oh my gosh, you really do like her!”

“It’s not like that!”

“It’s absolutely like that,” Kaminari told her.

“I believe it’s like that,” Todoroki agreed.

“Some friends you are,” Izuku huffed, sinking in his seat. “Tease me all you want, just leave Kacchan alone.”

“You have my word,” Kaminari promised, holding up a hand like he was swearing an oath.

Somehow, Izuku doubted it.